mellett



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Au 19, 1890.

L. MELLETT.

ELECTRIC VALVE CLOSER.

(Nb Model.)

WJIEEEIESr 2 SheetsSheet 2.

L. MELLETT.

ELECTRIC VALVE CLOSER.

Patented Aug. 19, 1890.

mum, WASHINGTON, n. 1:.

(No Model.)

WITHEEEEE- 22 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEMUEL MELLETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, A. D. TINGLEY, A. L. RUSSELL, AND P. LIGHTIIILL, ALL OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC VALVE-CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,671, dated August 19, 1890.

Application filed January 22, 1889. Serial No. 297,146. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL MELLETT, of

Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Shut-Offs for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

' It is the object of my invention to provide an improved electrically-operating system for factories and other buildings employing machinery driven by a steam-engine, whereby the engine and machinery may be stopped by an operative in any part of the building by s mply pressing a button or doing some other simple act to effect the closing of an electric circuit.

My invention consists of the combination, with the steam-shutoff valve of an engine, of an electric circuit, magnets and armature, a spring-actuated lever, a latch for engaging said lever and arranged to be operated upon by said armature, and connections between the spring-actuated lever and shut-off valve whereby the latter may be operated, all as is hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a front elevation of one form of means adapted to be acted upon by the armature to release the spring-actuated lever. Fig. 2 is a sectional end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of means. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the means shown in Fig. 3, the view being taken on the line to a: of the latter figure. Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a building having my safety system applied therein. A

The same letters of reference designate the same parts wherever they occur.

In the drawings, a designates magnets, with which are connected wires 1), the latter runnin g to any suitable electric battery;

0 is an armature pivoted at one end to some stationary part of the frame, preferably at 0, so that its other end may be held away from its magnet when the circuit is broken and be attracted thereto when the circuit is closed.

d is a spring-actuated lever fulcrumed on the frame and connected at one end by means of a chain, cord, or other suitable device e with a rod or bar f, by which the shut-off valve is operated to shut off and turn on the steam.

g designates a latch pivoted to the frame and constructed and arranged at one end to engage the lever d and hold it in position against the tension or stress of its spring and to be acted upon at its other end by the armature 0 when the circuit is closed, whereby it may be unlatched or disengaged from lever d, so that the latter may be moved with the result hereinbefore mentioned. In Fig. 1 this latch g is shown as being passed between two pegs or short arms g, which serve as stops to limit its movement.

I11 Figs. 1 and 2 the magnets, armature, and latch are arranged above the spring-actuated lever d, the latch being provided with a hook or notch h, adapted to catch under the free end of the lever, while in Figs. 3 and 4 the magnets, armature, and latch are arranged below the spring-actuated lever, the upper end of the latch being constructed and arranged to be passed under the free end of the lever and so prop or hold it up.

A cord i may be attached to the free end of the lever (1, passed over a pulley j, and provided on its pendent end with a pull 70, whereby the lever may be raised to be locked by the latch g.

Z designates push-buttons, which may be arranged on the end of pendent wires m, connected with the wires 79, which push-buttons may be suspended over work-benches in a factory or at other points where they may be conveniently reached by operatives or other persons and actuated to close the circuit, attract the armature to the magnets, and operate the device, as before explained, to shut oif the steam and stop the engine.

It is obvious of course that instead of pendent push-buttons l, I may employ a commonly-used push-button n, attached to the wall, partition, or other part of the building and connected with the line-wires b.

I do not confine myself to any particular means directly connected with the shutroif Valve for operating the same, as any means that maybe actuated by the lever d and connections between it and the valve will serve the purposes or ends of the invention, and various changes may be made in the form and arrangement of parts without departing from the nature or spirit of theimprovement.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim is' The combination, with the steam-shutoff valve of an engine, of a lever, a spring connected to one end thereof, a chain connected to one end of said lever and to said valve, a pivoted latch having a hooked end designed to engage said lever, the magnets, the armature pivoted at one end, its other end engaging said latch, the electric circuit, the series of circuit-closing devices, and the cord connected to IS the spring-pressed end of said lever so as to raise the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 15th day of 20 January, A. D. 1889.

LEMUEL MELLETT. 

